CBI seeks six more months for 2G spectrum scam probe

NEW DELHI - The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday told the Supreme Court that it would require six more months to complete its investigations into the 2G spectrum scam.

“There is a lot of investigation within India and there could be pan-India investigations also,” Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, appearing for the agency, told the apex court bench of Justice G.S.Singhvi and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly.

The CBI filed the FIR Oct 21, 2009, after the case was sent to it by the Central Vigilance Commission.

Subramanium told the court there was a huge task of transcribing the recorded conversations of public relations firm owner and corporate lobbyist Nira Radia with different people, including Telecom Minister A. Raja.

Radia’s connections with high-profile people in telecom sector and the minister came to light when the Income Tax department put her phone under surveillance. The surveillance continued for near a year.

The entire investigation had to be carried out in co-ordination with other government agencies, including the Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate, the solicitor general said.

The court also asked the solicitor general to respond to Sep 15 affidavit by the petitioner, the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, in which it mentioned the adverse observations by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the grant of 2G spectrum licences to the favoured companies.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior counsel Prashant Bhushan told the court that in 2008, the minister issued licences to non-telecom private operators at the prices of 2001, reportedly causing the public exchequer a loss of Rs.139,652 crore.

This was done despite objections from the prime minister, the finance minister, the law minister, senior officials of the finance ministry and the then telecom secretary, he said. The licences were issued in a most arbitrary manner and even the first come first serve policy was not honoured, he added.

Everything was geared to favour the few at the expense of fair play and transparency, Prashant Bhushan claimed.

The moment these non-telecom private operators got the licences, they off-loaded these seven to eight times of the price they had paid, he added.

He said it was one year since the FIR was lodged but the investigating agency has not even questioned Raja, leave aside arresting him.

Bhushan said that investigations have revealed that besides Radia, many other prominent players from corporate world, politicians and media persons have played a role in pushing various interests but none of them has been questioned.

Counsel also sought monitoring of the investigation by the apex court.

Opposing the plea, the solicitor general said any such situation would cast a shadow on the investigating agency and at this stage of investigation it would be premature to disclose anything.